I.Intro
a.Old Imperialism – Age of Exploration – 1492-1522 (Columbus to Magellan) i.From this time forward, overseas trade and colonization significantly contributed to a nation’s wealth and power.
b.Imperialism- The policy of extending a nation’s authority by territorial acquisition or by the establishment of economic and political hegemony over other nations. i.Reached peak between 1880 and 1914 ii.Political aspect changed course of Imperialism (new imperialism) iii.Caused tensions among competing European states, led to wars iv.Aimed at Africa and Asia
(Harsh on both sides of issue- Pro Industrialization/ anti-industrialization)
c.Thesis: the idea of imperialism was simultaneously unconditionally advocated and harshly opposed in the 19th and 20th centuries; advocates and opponents of imperialism differed in the areas of economic gain, social implications, and religious motives.
II.Industrialization
a.Pro-Imperialism i.For the good of mother country and inhabitants ii.Raw goods supplement capitalist agenda iii.Provoked nationalism/ unity iv.(propaganda)- nationalism evoked
b.anti-imperialism i.J.A. Hobson- Imperialism
1.Rush to acquire colonies due to the economic needs of unregulated capitalism (particularly the need of the rich to find outlets for their surplus capital)
2.Imperialist economic policies abroad did not pay off economically for the country as a whole
a.Only private/special interest groups profited from them (at the expense of taxpayers and natives)
b.The quest for empire diverted popular attention away from domestic reform and the need to reduce the great gap between the rich and the poor
(Many ideas did not catch on- broad and genuine enthusiasm for empire developed among the masses)
III.Social
a.Pro-Imperialism i.For the good of uncivilized inhabitants ii.Moral responsibility iii.“White Man’s Burden” by Rudyard Kipling said that people believed that their civilization had reached unprecedented heights and that they had unique benefits to bestow on all “
less advanced” peoples iv.social Darwinism- Herbert Spencer
b.Anti-Imperialism i.Moral condemnation of whites overbearingly ruling nonwhites
1.Called for human dignity
2.Liberalism-civil liberty and political self-determination
3."Modern nationalism every people has right to control its own destiny
4.After 1917, Lenin’s version of Marxian socialism
ii.Literary opposition
1.Henry Laboucherie- “Brown Man’s Burden”
2.Joseph Conrad- “Heart of Darkness”
a.Castigated the pure selfishness of Europeans in civilizing Africa iii.“Double Standard”
1.Civil liberties at home vs abroad
(representative gov’t vs. dictatorship)
(fought for their own rights during the revolutions but then subjected others to the same thing) iv.Europeans who denounced imperialism were outnumbered, but provided colonial people with Western ideology
IV.Religious
a.Pro-Imperialism i.Spread the word ii.Fulfill responsibility iii.Save the “uncivilized” iv.Organizations
b.Anti-Imperialism i.Merely imposing beliefs on cultures ii.China/India have longstanding, stable religions iii.Christianity=$$$
How has imperialism been defended or attacked?
I. Introa. Old Imperialism – Age of Exploration – 1492-1522 (Columbus to Magellan)
i. From this time forward, overseas trade and colonization significantly contributed to a nation’s wealth and power.
b. Imperialism- The policy of extending a nation’s authority by territorial acquisition or by the establishment of economic and political hegemony over other nations.
i. Reached peak between 1880 and 1914
ii. Political aspect changed course of Imperialism (new imperialism)
iii. Caused tensions among competing European states, led to wars
iv. Aimed at Africa and Asia
(Harsh on both sides of issue- Pro Industrialization/ anti-industrialization)
c. Thesis: the idea of imperialism was simultaneously unconditionally advocated and harshly opposed in the 19th and 20th centuries; advocates and opponents of imperialism differed in the areas of economic gain, social implications, and religious motives.
II. Industrialization
a. Pro-Imperialism
i. For the good of mother country and inhabitants
ii. Raw goods supplement capitalist agenda
iii. Provoked nationalism/ unity
iv. (propaganda)- nationalism evoked
b. anti-imperialism
i. J.A. Hobson- Imperialism
1. Rush to acquire colonies due to the economic needs of unregulated capitalism (particularly the need of the rich to find outlets for their surplus capital)
2. Imperialist economic policies abroad did not pay off economically for the country as a whole
a. Only private/special interest groups profited from them (at the expense of taxpayers and natives)
b. The quest for empire diverted popular attention away from domestic reform and the need to reduce the great gap between the rich and the poor
(Many ideas did not catch on- broad and genuine enthusiasm for empire developed among the masses)
III. Social
a. Pro-Imperialism
i. For the good of uncivilized inhabitants
ii. Moral responsibility
iii. “White Man’s Burden” by Rudyard Kipling said that people believed that their civilization had reached unprecedented heights and that they had unique benefits to bestow on all “
less advanced” peoples
iv. social Darwinism- Herbert Spencer
b. Anti-Imperialism
i. Moral condemnation of whites overbearingly ruling nonwhites
1. Called for human dignity
2. Liberalism-civil liberty and political self-determination
3. "Modern nationalism every people has right to control its own destiny
4. After 1917, Lenin’s version of Marxian socialism
ii. Literary opposition
1. Henry Laboucherie- “Brown Man’s Burden”
2. Joseph Conrad- “Heart of Darkness”
a. Castigated the pure selfishness of Europeans in civilizing Africa
iii. “Double Standard”
1. Civil liberties at home vs abroad
(representative gov’t vs. dictatorship)
(fought for their own rights during the revolutions but then subjected others to the same thing)
iv. Europeans who denounced imperialism were outnumbered, but provided colonial people with Western ideology
IV. Religious
a. Pro-Imperialism
i. Spread the word
ii. Fulfill responsibility
iii. Save the “uncivilized”
iv. Organizations
b. Anti-Imperialism
i. Merely imposing beliefs on cultures
ii. China/India have longstanding, stable religions
iii. Christianity=$$$
V. Conclusion